Uses of wild vertebrates in traditional medicine by farmers in the region surrounding the Serra do Conduru State Park (Bahia, Brazil)

Abstract: Wild and domestic animals and their by-products are important ingredients in the preparation of medicines traditionally used in folk medicine, present in various human cultures since antiquity. However, the decline in the number of species in neotropical regions as a result of hunting for various purposes, including food, medicine and magico-religious use, has placed some species - especially endemic species - at risk of extinction. In this context, the present study aimed to identify the wild vertebrate species used in folk medicine in five communities in the region surrounding the Serra do Conduru State Park (PESC), Bahia, Brazil. Forty-five hunter-farmers were interviewed, citing 23 species, from which 17 raw materials are extracted for prevention and/or treatment of 19 illnesses. Mammals were the most cited taxon followed by birds and reptiles. Among the species mentioned, Cuniculus paca is the most used for zootherapy purposes, followed by Salvator merianae and Sphiggurus insidiosus. There was dissimilarity between the communities in relation to the diversity of species used for zootherapy. Ten categories of body systems were classified for which the therapeutic resources are recommended. Disorders related to the middle and inner ear were the most cited. Some of the species mentioned are endangered, such as Bradypus torquatus and Lachesis muta. This research demonstrated that zootherapy is a traditional practice embedded in these communities. Further studies are needed to broaden knowledge of other species that may have important cultural value for these families, as well as to evaluate the potential implications of the uncontrolled use of these species in traditional medicine in an ecological context, since the practice of zootherapy can excerpt pressure on critical animal populations and threaten biodiversity.

摘要：自古以来，诸多人类文明的传统民间医药（folk medicine）制剂均以野生动物及其副产品作为重要原料。然而，新热带区（neotropical regions）因狩猎活动（涵盖食用、药用及巫术宗教用途等多重目的）导致物种种群数量下滑，已令部分物种——尤其是特有物种——濒临灭绝风险。在此背景下，本研究旨在明确巴西巴伊亚州孔杜鲁山州立公园（Serra do Conduru State Park, PESC）周边五个社区的民间医药所使用的野生脊椎动物物种。研究共访谈45名猎农，共记录到23个物种，可从中提取17种原料用于预防和/或治疗19类疾病。其中哺乳类为被引用最多的类群，其次为鸟类与爬行类。在提及的物种中，刺豚鼠（Cuniculus paca）是动物疗法（Zootherapy）中应用最广泛的物种，紧随其后的是南美巨蜥（Salvator merianae）与南美毛倭豪猪（Sphiggurus insidiosus）。各社区用于动物疗法的物种多样性存在显著差异。研究将治疗所针对的身体系统划分为十大类别，其中中耳与内耳相关病症被提及频次最高。部分被记录的物种已处于濒危状态，如鬃毛三趾树懒（Bradypus torquatus）与巨蝮（Lachesis muta）。本研究证实，动物疗法是扎根于这些社区的传统实践。未来仍需开展更多研究，以拓展对这些社区家庭具有重要文化价值的其他物种的认知，同时评估传统医药中无节制使用这些物种所带来的生态学层面潜在影响——因为动物疗法可能会对濒危动物种群施加捕捞压力，进而威胁生物多样性。